Redline Review

Is it worth the seven years put into it?  

Studio Madhouse is known as the best Anime Studio of all time by a lot of anime fans. Some fans may argue that this perception does not hold up in today’s climate. But since its founding in 1972, Madhouse has produced over 300 anime. A considerable portion of these anime is hands down some of the best masterpieces of all time.   

However, even in this prestigious anime studio with a history of creating great shows, Redline stands as an apex of animation and art that took the studio a staggering seven years to complete.  

More surprising about Redline is that the movie was never even planned to take seven years, let alone having 100,000 hand-drawn panels that made into the final cut.  

Only one man in all of Studio Madhouse is credited with the Genius of Redline, Takeshi Koike. He created one of the biggest highlights of Studio Madhouse before he started work on Redline, the Afro Samurai Pilot--a 3-minute special that practically paved the way for a full-on original anime.  

Takeshi Koike was considered one of the most talented animators at Studio Madhouse at the time of its peak. Redline, his directorial debut, has virtually redefined what it means to be a Veteran Animator.  

What makes Redline Special

To start things off, Redline, unlike traditional episodic anime, is a movie that was released in 2009 but was planned in 2002. Redline was conceived when anime was not as widely accepted and popular as it is today. Unless they were a sequel to a widely popular anime or made by the Godsend Hayao Miyazaki, anime movies were not well received.  

So, planning a Movie in the early 2000s was not only a gamble but more, so an ambiguous plan like Redline was already an anomaly for its time. And Takeshi Koike was ready for the challenge after making splashes in the Animation Industry with his Afro Samurai Pilot.  

An early Ova for one of the main characters in Redline Trava was released in 2002, and with a release clock set for 2003, the production was underway under the guidance of Takeshi Koike. But this time, instead of working with another animator, Takeshi Koike was given full creative control over the new film project.  

And we know how that turned out.  

Plot

The premise for Redline is quite simple. The movie is set in a futuristic Sci-Fi world filled with aliens and a ton of different cultures.  

In this advanced, intergalactic universe, where no civilization is bound to just one planet, an illegal Grand Prix race is held every five years. The top racers from across various galaxies gather together to have a brawl with speed and race each other for fame and fortune.   

The race is a somewhat secretive event where the racecourse is not announced until the race starts. JP, the main protagonist dreams of winning this race. Due to a stroke of luck, JP gets the chance to participate in the race, but this time, it is announced that Redline would be held on a fascist regime planet called the Roboworld.   

The extremist regime’s dictator takes the race on their turf as a mockery of their rule and decides to end this insanity. 

So, our racers have to face each other while an army attacks them with missiles, lasers, and any other deadly available weapon.  

Characters

But, despite the odds, our daredevil JP, the femme fatale McLaren, which is, of course, referencing the infamous McLaren F1, are up for the challenge. Besides our Hero and the Heroine, the movie is crammed with hundreds of side characters who come in all shapes and sizes, from talking dogs to mechanical owls and more, in different styles, recognizable cliches, and unique quirks, and much more.  

But other than that, not much screen time is given to the characters as the movie can't just focus on providing a proper introduction to every new character, and since it is a racing movie, this is to be expected.  

The pace of Redline is fast, and much like a race, it starts slow but a bit slow, but as you progress through the frames, it picks up the pace and the faster it goes. 

Art

To everyone watching this film, the first thing that draws them in is the art, which is extremely detailed and just too glamorous. Redline is a unique blend of western and Asian styles. Each scene and frame has been painstakingly drawn out by hand to have every single pixel in the perfect position. The attention to detail makes Redline a unique experience unlike any other anime or animation in the world to ever been made.  

The art is so good and detailed that Redline is a different beast than any other anime out during its release. And even a decade later, its animation is on par with some of the best anime films out right now.  

The Art is Vibrant, colorful, and a treat to the eyes, as long as bright flashing colors don't trigger epileptic seizures.  

Soundtrack

The soundtrack in anime is usually used to set up an atmosphere; the music in Redline does a lot more than that. The Sound Directors, Ishii Katsuhito and Shimizu Youji, seem to have worked for hand in hand to create music that is just as vibrant as the animation. The slow tunes are well-paced and sublime. The sound directors know when to stop when the music allows the viewers' attention to be solely focused on the screen’s fast-paced action.  

Musically a staggering 42 different tracks were used in Redline to flush out the movie with an undoubtedly LSD-induced experience.  

Conclusion

Redline is a masterpiece by the genius animator Takeshi Koike. Although not for everyone, it is an experience like none other. And despite being a decade old, its animation is still as crisp as ever and even though the plot and the pacing suffer slightly. Redline is a definite 9/10 masterpiece that is worth checking out.